And with every trend, there is eventually a counter-trend, and this is no different as brands still want to stand out against the competition to achieve their potential.
According to Tim Owen, principal at marketing and business development consultancy Fulcrum Partners, the independent fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space is moving in the opposite direction from blanding, citing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands such as Tony’s Chocolonely and Oatly as having introduced some eye-catching marques.
Liquid Death, with its distinctive skull emblem, is another brand keeping things interesting, mainly because it’s a company without a long history.
“It’s a bubble,” Owen cautioned. “The minute those DTC brands venture out into the retail and social space, the loss of that distinction is apparent. Because without distinction there is no memory, and without memory, there is no fame. Distinction is one of those things that has mattered forever and will continue to do so. It is why Bowie was distinct, why Wedgewood was distinct, and why religion cultivates distinction. Because without distinction, there is no fame.”
